Aaron Esparza and Jeff Olimpo examined how remote instruction during the pandemic influenced learning strategies of students. Their ASMCUE 2022 recorded poster session was entitled “COVID-19 Remote Instruction Prepares STEM Students for the Return to Face-to-Face Learning.” Esparza mentioned that they sought to challenge the deficit focused comments of remote instruction. They described how self-regulated learning is employed by online students to a greater extent than in-person participants. Their research questions were: what relationship exists between students’ ability to adapt to novel situations and their online learning behaviors and how did COVID-19 remote instruction contribute to students’ skillsets, particularly as they prepared for the return to face-to-face learning. Through convenience sampling, the research team recruited 105 participants in a Hispanic-Serving Institution. Their quantitative and qualitative approaches included online self regulated learning questionnaire (Bernard et al. 2009), the adaptability scale (Martin et al. 2013), and the open-ended prompt “what skills did you acquire from COVID-19 remote instruction that you are still making use of now that we have returned to face-to-face learning?“. The team explored statistically significant relationships between online time management behaviors and self-regulated learning. Students also perceived gains in communication and time management. Esparza concluded that “significant, positive relationships were observed between self-regulated learning behaviors and student adaptability in the context of COVID-19 remote instruction.” The research team also noted that several skills are thought to be transferrable to the face-to-face environment, including time management, organizational skills, communication and virtual networking, and technology literacy. Jeff always designs robust experimental methodologies to address intriguing, yet accessible research questions. I am glad the team worked on self-regulated learning and remote instruction. I will look into the instruments used and keep track of this upcoming publication.
